Safety book match



Aug 9 1938 H. R. HQWLAND SAFETY BOOK MATCH Filed Dec. 24, l957 INVENTOR I HOW/.4 N0

7 HENRYR. J/I

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE- llenry fi lf'lfrg Y.-

lclaim.

My invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements in so-called paper match packets. My main object'is to construct the packet in such a manner as to eliminate the danger of igniting the attached, unused matches bythe striking of a detached match on the striking-strip of the packet. n

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. l is a front elevation, partly of the complete packet; 1-

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation thereof, looking from right to left;

Fig.3 is a perspective view. a The outside of the packet I will term an envelope. This is usually made of suitable paper board. This strip of paper is folded in 'a unique manner to provide a housing for match strips, as well as a separate housing for a striker strip, these being so arranged that any stray spark from a match head being struck cannot reach the match heads of the undetached matches remaining on the match strips or the fingers of the user. The envelope in the particular form shown is a sheet folded intermediate its length sons to form broken away,

backli, may be folded to overlap the front 4 as at 6. 1-8 represent two match strips firmly secured between the front 4 and back of the envelop as by means of a staple 9. Each match strip is l0 represents a striker strip. This striker strip is 5 what I may term tubular portion I. The ends of the sheet are then folded back at the points-2 and 3 against the outside of the tubular portion and are then extended to form the front 4 and back 5 of theenvelope. The folds 23 are normally located so close to each other as to provide only a slot or slit which for all practical purposes substantially closes the tube except at its ends (see Fig. 2) while yet permitting a paper match to be slipped flatwise into the end of said slit and drawn therethrough in such a manner as to cause the match head to scrape on the striker surface. While the slit referred to is substantially closed under normal conditions, the paper material is sufficiently yielding to permit the match to be inserted edgewise therebetween and drawn therethrough. One of the cover parts, for example the located within and at the backjof the tubular portion I opposite to the aforesaid slit between the folds 2 and 3. Hence, when a' match is detached, the match head may be inserted in the tube so as to bear against the striker strip II], as indicated in Fig. 3, while the stem of the match will pass edgew e through the slot between the folds '2 and 3. In drawing the head of the match longitudinally of the striker strip Hi, the match head will be ignited and any stray spark there- 'fron'i will be extinguished within the tubular portion entailing in that, will escape the open ends of the tubular portion and henceall danger of burning the fingers or igniting the matches remaining on the strips 1-8, or by a stray spark, will be avoided and safety guaranteed.

I have shown and described my invention in only one preferred form, fully realizing that various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the claim and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

In a book match packet, a match strip embodying a plurality of 'match ends, an envelope having a portion overstanding and protecting saidmatch ends and having a tubular portion at the base away from the match heads and substantially closed except at its ends, a, striker strip within and at the back of said tubular portion, said tubular portion having a longitudinal slit opposite said striker strip, the opposite walls of said slit being yielding for the purpose described.

HENRY R. HOWLAND. 

